2009 Detroit Lions Thread

Lions trade Cory Redding to Seattle for Julian Peterson

BY CARLOS MONARREZ • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • March 14, 2009

The Lions have confirmed they have traded defensive tackle Cory Redding and a fifth-round selection in next month’s NFL draft for Seattle Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson.

The deal, which is contingent on both players passing physicals, went through after Redding agreed to restructure the seven-year, $49-million deal he signed with the Lions in 2007, according to Foxsports.com.

Seattle reportedly was working on trading or releasing Peterson, a former player at Michigan State, after he refused to take a pay cut in his $6.5-million salary for this season. Peterson, a 6-feet-3, 240 pound strong-side linebacker, has been to five Pro Bowls.

Peterson, addition fills a big need on the linebacker corps but also raises questions about what the Lions intentions are for Aaron Curry, a draft prospect form Wake Forest the team will host Sunday. Curry played on the strong side in college but he is supposed to be versatile enough to play in the middle – Lions coach Jim Schwartz has called him “multidimensional” -- even though he has had only a few practices at that position.

Redding became the highest-paid NFL defensive tackle after the 2006 season, when he racked up eight sacks after the Lions converted him from a defensive end. Redding struggled the past two seasons and he missed the final three games of the 2008 season on injured reserve with a knee ailment.

Aaron Curry would like chance to play with Peterson

BY CARLOS MONARREZ • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • March 14, 2009

When Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry heard the news about the Lions’ trade for Seattle linebacker Julian Peterson, he perked up and began discussing the prospect of playing next to the five-time Pro Bowler.

Curry, who played on the strong side in college, is scheduled to arrive in Detroit on Sunday for a visit and workout with the Lions as the team’s potential No. 1 pick in next month’s draft. Peterson also plays on the strong side, but Curry said he would relish the chance to play in the middle, or the so-called Mike position.

“Actually, I’m very excited about that (trade), being that he’s going to be a perfect Sam linebacker,” Curry said in a phone interview. “Ernie Sims is going to be a great Will (weak-side linebacker) and I just have the opportunity to play the Mike. That Mike position is always a position that I always looked at at Wake Forest that I wanted to play but just never was allowed to really just play it 400 snaps (a season).”

Curry said it was the decision of Wake Forest defensive coordinator Brad Lambert to keep him on the outside as a nine-technique in order to stop inside and outside runs.

“I think Coach Lambert, he realized that I had these long arms and solid hands and he felt that I was really disruptive at the nine-technique,” Curry said, “so he didn’t want to take the risk of moving me to the Mike and not having somebody to set the edge.”

Curry got some taste of the middle linebacker position in the nickel defense.

“It’s not always against the run, but we’ve had a lot of teams that tried to throw us off,” he said. “I played the Mike against the run a lot of times and it’s mainly sometimes why I get a lot of my (tackles for loss).”

Now that Seattle has lost Peterson, it surely is in the market for a strong-side linebacker. The Seahawks have the fourth pick in the draft. Curry is due to visit Seattle on March 26.

Saturday, March 14, 2009
Lions
Lions' improved weight room supplies a lift
Remodeling of facility is part of the team's goal to make its players bigger and stronger.
John Niyo / The Detroit News

ALLEN PARK -- The first episode of the "Extreme Makeover: Detroit Lions Edition" airs Monday inside the new-look weight room at the team's practice facility.

And the stated goal, as articulated by new general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz, is a heavy undertaking, beginning next week when players report for the start of their offseason workout program.

"We have to get bigger," Schwartz said, repeating a refrain first uttered by Mayhew at his introductory news conference as GM on Dec. 30, two days after the Lions' 0-16 season ended.

They'll get no argument from Jason Arapoff, who enters his ninth season as the team's coordinator of physical development.

He spent his first 13 years in the NFL working with the Washington Redskins, a big, powerful championship team that featured "The Hogs" on the offensive line.

"Yeah, I was a really good strength coach there," Arapoff said, laughing.

"We had a blueprint that we didn't deviate from, and we were one of the first teams to have big, 300-pound lineman (that) at the time they thought were huge. And then it became a philosophy, to run the ball and be physical."

Now, it's time for a bit of a revolution in Allen Park, where Schwartz has directed a remodeling of the team's locker room and made changes to the team's strength and conditioning program, including more Olympic and powerlifting with free weights.

"The goal is to get this group as big and as strong as we possibly can," Arapoff said. "There's a philosophical approach in acquiring a certain body type, and then there's a philosophical approach in developing the players once we acquire them."

Though he's cautious not to sound critical of the previous coaching staff, Arapoff admits things will be different under Schwartz. Rod Marinelli, his predecessor as coach, built a defensive roster that featured smaller players.

"Everybody has their own interpretation of what size means," Arapoff said.

"To me, size means a lot of things. (But) I would consider us a small team, and not just by weight -- we're short. And with that comes smaller hands, shorter arms, smaller feet. So those are all variables that go into developing a bigger, more explosive, stronger, more difficult team to compete with."

Never was the disparity in size more obvious than in a 38-14 beating the Jacksonville Jaguars administered Nov. 9 at Ford Field.

The Jaguars' starting line that day averaged 6-foot-4 1/2 and 320 pounds, meaning the Lions' defensive front four gave up an average of two inches and 37 pounds at the line of scrimmage.

"That's the kind of team that we want to have: a physical, dominant team that can physically manhandle another NFL team," Mayhew said last month, referring to the Jaguars.

That's easier said than done, though, and it'll take a continuing roster overhaul at some positions, most notably with the defensive line and linebackers. The Lions already have added a mammoth, 350-pound defensive tackle in veteran Grady Jackson through free agency. And they'll look to make similar additions through the draft in April. But they'll also look to add some bulk to some of the current frames in the room, whether it's with last year's rookies -- like defensive end Cliff Avril and right tackle Gosder Cherilus -- or veterans like end Dewayne White.

"There are players on this team that have great growth potential," Arapoff said. "There's some players on this team -- like every team, we're no different -- that are maxed out or don't have that growth potential, because they have limitations.

"That's not to absolve this department from any responsibility in developing our guys to reach their potential. But there has to be a potential there for a guy to grow and develop."

You can reach John Niyo at (313) 982-3810 or john.niyo@detnews.com

GO LIONS

Monday, March 16, 2009
Lions sign TE Will Heller; L.J. Smith still available
John Niyo / The Detroit News

ALLEN PARK -- The Lions made a deal for a tight end Monday, but it wasn't L.J. Smith -- yet.

The team signed free agent Will Heller, a seven-year NFL veteran who fills the team's need as a blocking tight end. Heller has 36 catches in 70 games over a seven-year career, including the last three seasons in Seattle. He also played sparingly for Miami in 2005 under offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, who is now running the Lions' offense.

But the Lions could be back in the mix to land Smith, who was reportedly set to sign with Atlanta over the weekend. That deal fell through, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday, leaving the 28-year-old Smith still on the market. He visited the Lions two weeks ago but left without signing a contract and headed to Atlanta, though his agent, Brian Mackler, remained in contact with Detroit.

The Lions are looking to upgrade the tight end position, with Michael Gaines as their incumbent starter right now. The team cut veteran Dan Campbell last month and lost backup John Owens, who signed with Seattle as a free agent.

Smith, at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, is arguably the best pass-catching option available in free agency at the position. He has dealt with injuries the last two years -- starting only 21 games -- but still finished the 2008 season with 37 catches for 298 yards and three touchdowns. Smith, a former second-round pick (2003), had 61- and 50-catch seasons in 2005-06, and has 231 catches for 2,525 yards and 18 touchdowns in six seasons with the Eagles.

GO LIONS IN 2009

Saturday, March 21, 2009
Lions to retire Corey Smith's 93 for one year
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Detroit Lions are retiring the number 93 jersey for the upcoming season in memory of defensive lineman Corey Smith, who disappeared when a boat capsized off the Florida coast.

Smith, a free agent who played the past three seasons with Detroit, is one of three men who went missing off the Gulf Coast after their 21-foot fishing boat capsized in rough seas three weeks ago.

Galen Duncan, the Lions' senior director of player development, announced the one-year retirement of Smith's jersey number at a memorial service Saturday in Smith's hometown of Richmond.

Several hundred mourners, including Smith's former teammates from the NFL, North Carolina State and high school attended the service.

Lions have tweaked their logo

According to an article in the Detroit News today


I say they should have let it alone

Monday, March 30, 2009
Lions open exhibition play at home vs. Falcons
John Niyo The Detroit News

Allen Park -- Although it doesn't count toward erasing a historic 0-16 mark, the Lions kick off next season with a home exhibition date against the Atlanta Falcons.

The date hasn't been announced.

Detroit will host Atlanta between Aug. 13-17 to open its exhibition slate. Games at Cleveland (Aug. 20-24), home against Indianapolis (Aug. 27-31) and at Buffalo (Sept. 3-4) round out the schedule.

The Lions' regular-season schedule has not been released, but they will start Sept. 13.

GO LIONS

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Lions eyeing any help to land QB Jay Cutler
John Niyo / The Detroit News

First things first: The Denver Broncos don't want the first overall pick in the draft. Few NFL teams do, quite frankly, given the financial commitment it entails.

So if the Lions are hoping to land Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler, now officially available to the highest -- or perhaps the most creative -- bidder, they may have to do it with the help of another team.

And they'd better hurry, with the Washington Redskins and impetuous owner Daniel Snyder already emerging as a front-runner to land the 25-year-old Cutler, one of the NFL's top young quarterbacks. The Redskins, who own the 13th overall pick in this month's NFL draft, are actively pursuing a trade, the Washington Post reported late Wednesday, with Tampa Bay and the New York Jets also in the mix.

Denver's initial asking price is believed to be a first-round pick in this month's draft and possibly another first-round pick in 2010, with the Broncos also seeking a starting-caliber quarterback in any deal, a league source said. And while the Lions have the draft picks -- they insist they won't give them up easily -- they're lacking in the other department.

Then again, so are a lot of the teams reportedly in the hunt for Cutler, whose public feud with rookie head coach Josh McDaniels and team management finally prompted a terse announcement from Broncos owner Pat Bowlen Tuesday night. Bowlen said the team will try to accommodate Cutler's March 15 request for a trade, and the Lions -- with only Daunte Culpepper and unproven backups Drew Stanton and Drew Henson on the current roster -- already made one attempt to land Cutler at the start of free agency.

The Lions, along with Tampa Bay and Minnesota, briefly were involved in trade talks with New England and Denver before the Patriots dealt Matt Cassel -- the quarterback McDaniels coveted -- to Kansas City. Now there's speculation that Cleveland, with Brady Quinn to offer, could help facilitate a three-way deal with the Broncos.

The line of interested teams stretches around the corner, but Washington, with current starter Jason Campbell entering the final year of his contract, appears to be at the front of the pack.

The Lions won't publicly discuss any interest in Cutler, citing anti-tampering rules.

"I don't want to comment on how active we were in this or that or anything else," coach Jim Schwartz said last week at the NFL owners' meetings. "I think I'll just leave it with a blanket, 'We're going to look at every possibility that we can to improve our team.' "

Schwartz was one of several Lions officials who flew from Georgia, where the team held a private workout with Matt Stafford on Tuesday, to Los Angeles for USC's pro day, where Mark Sanchez, the other top quarterback prospect, put on an impressive display Wednesday afternoon. Sanchez added some throws to his script at the Lions' request, and said he expects to visit Detroit in mid-April.

Stafford, meanwhile, said in an interview with Sirius NFL Radio that his visit with the Lions went "really well." It actually began with another dinner Monday night and also included a 90-minute board session prior to the on-field workout run by offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.

"It was just one-by-one -- he would pick a route, and I had no idea going in what he wanted me to throw or any kind of routes or anything like that," Stafford said. "It's tough sometimes to imagine the route versus the certain coverage that the coach wants. So that was a little difficult at times to understand what he was looking for. But other than that, I think it went well. I threw maybe 50-60 balls, something like that, and for the large majority of them, I felt like I threw 'em very well."

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810

Bears land Cutler

Thursday, April 9, 2009
Notebook
Defensive line bulking up -- under coach's orders
John Niyo / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- Landon Cohen smiles when asked about the Lions' new coaching staff.

"I love 'em, just because I get to eat more: Me and Dell are having a good time when I'm in the cafeteria and I get to pile my plate high," Cohen said with a laugh, referring to chef Wendell Williams at the team's practice facility.

Of course, the menu is hardly the only thing that has changed. By design, none of the Lions' defensive lineman weighed 300 pounds last season, with coach Rod Marinelli stressing speed over size. The new edict from coach Jim Schwartz raises not just the calorie intake, but also questions about the future of those drafted to fit the old profile.

"Our emphasis is on, 'Hey, let's get them big and strong -- as strong as you can,' " Schwartz said.

That includes defensive end Ikaika Alama-Francis, who hasn't lived up to his status as a 2007 second-round pick. He played last season at 270-275 pounds but was as heavy as 295 in college.

"So it's not a big deal for me to put on size," he said.

Cohen, a seventh-round pick last spring, plans to play at 300 next season, 10 pounds heavier than his rookie year. Andre Fluellen played at 285 after shifting from tackle to end because of injuries last fall -- 15-20 pounds below where he expects to be this year.

"I don't need to be 330 or 340, but (the idea) is adding more weight with the emphasis on stopping the run this year," Fluellen said.

That explains the free-agent signing of Grady Jackson, though at 36, the 350-pound tackle isn't an every-down player. Ditto Chuck Darby, another veteran tackle.

Extra points

The Lions will hold their annual NFL draft party for fans at Ford Field on April 25 from 3-8 p.m. Admission is free.

... The team signed guard Matt Lentz , an ex-Michigan and Ortonville standout. Lentz, 26, spent last season on Tampa Bay's practice squad after Pittsburgh cut him as camp ended.

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810

Updated: April 7, 2009

The following is a comprehensive list of unrestricted and restricted free agents who have been signed by the Detroit Lions since February 27 (Arranged in order of signing).

Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA) and other designations*

Name	Team	Pos	Ht	Wt	Exp	Age	Notes
Heller, Will	Sea	TE	6-6	270	8	28	-- Signed one-year deal March 16 -- Has spent the past three seasons in Seattle; best season came in 2007 when he played in all 16 games (six starts) and had a career-high 13 receptions (82 yards) and three touchdowns; originally signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted rookie free agent (2003).
Spencer, Cody	NYJ	LB	6-2	245	6	27	-- Signed one-year deal March 9 -- Has spent the last three seasons with the New York Jets; played in 14 games in 2008, amassing 26 tackles (19 solo); originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Loper, Daniel	Ten	T	6-6	320	5	27	-- Signed one-year deal March 7 -- Drafted by Tennessee in 2005 out of Texas Tech; has played in 40 games - including all 32 over the past two seasons - for the Titans over the past four seasons.
Buchanon, Phillip	TB	CB	5-11	186	8	28	-- Signed two-year deal March 5 -- Has spent the last three seasons in Tampa Bay, playing in 42 games with 32 starts; had 52 tackles (48 solo), six passes defensed and two interceptions; originally selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft.
Jackson, Grady	Atl	DT	6-2	345	13	36	-- Signed three-year deal March 4 -- Adds size to the Detroit defensive line; spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons; finished 2008 with 28 tackles (23 solo) and two sacks; originally drafted in the sixth round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Johnson, Bryant	SF	WR	6-3	211	7	27	-- Signed three-year deal March 2 -- Spent last season with the 49ers; finished 2008 with 45 receptions for 546 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games including 12 starts; originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
King, Eric	Ten	CB	5-10	185	5	26	-- Signed two-year deal February 28 -- Spent last three seasons with Tennessee; selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by Buffalo; has 60 career tackles (44 solo) and has played in 52 games (three starts) serving as a backup defensive back while contributing on special teams.
Morris, Maurice	Sea	RB	5-11	216	8	29	-- Signed three-year deal February 28 -- Drafted in the second round (54th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in 2002; finished the 2008 season with 574 rushing yards on 132 attempts; best season came in 2007 when he finished with 628 rushing yards on 140 attempts (4.5 avg) and four touchdowns.

Lions sign WR Ronald Curry, FB Terrelle Smith

By CARLOS MONARREZ • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • April 16, 2009

The Lions announced one-year deals with free agents Ronald Curry, a receiver with Oakland the past seven seasons, and fullback Terrelle Smith.

Financial terms were not given.

Curry, 29, caught 19 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns last year. Smith, 31, played for Arizona the past two years and has blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher six times over nine seasons.

Saturday, April 18, 2009
Lions QB Daunte Culpepper shapes up
John Niyo / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- Daunte Culpepper says he feels like a rookie again. He looks like one, too, having dropped 30 pounds from the 290-plus he carried with him out of semi-retirement last fall to start for the Lions at quarterback.

"My whole mind-set this offseason was to get myself in the best shape I can," Culpepper said Friday, looking sharp and in command as the team's first mandatory mini-camp kicked off under head coach Jim Schwartz. "It's kind of funny -- and everybody's getting evaluated -- but I feel like I'm kind of coming out of the draft again, believe it or not. It's kind of strange, but I feel like with the sense that everybody's proving themselves here, everybody's starting from scratch, it's kind of like, 'Hey, it's the beginning again.' It's like my rookie year again. I'm very excited."

Still, he's well aware that another rookie -- possibly Matthew Stafford if he's the No. 1 overall pick in next weekend's draft -- could be joining him soon in Allen Park, where owner William Clay Ford Sr. was among Friday's interested observers.

"Hey, that's a possibility," Culpepper said, smiling. "But I feel comfortable no matter what. I'm just here to help this team be the best we can be. Honestly, that's how I'm approaching it."

As a mentor, or a competitor?

"Both," he said. "I'm mentoring and competing every day. With the guys that are here, I'm doing it. And whoever is going to be here after the draft or when the season starts, I'm gonna be the best player I can be, and also the best teammate I can be."

Right now, Culpepper appears to be the only real option, especially after a shaky performance by Drew Stanton in Friday's first session. Schwartz, while acknowledging, "we're gonna take a real hard look at this tape," was quick to say he won't make any snap judgments.

"I don't want to judge too much on today, just because it's the first time they've faced live defense," Schwartz said, adding that both Stanton and Drew Henson have "thrown the ball well" in offseason workouts.

Culpepper finally broke his offseason silence, confirming he "came in right around 290" when he signed as a free agent in early November. He says he's currently just under 266, his playing weight his first year as an NFL starter in 2000, though he didn't specify what the weight clause in his restructured contract calls for this offseason.

"When a team says, 'We want to put something in your contract about your weight,' that just brings up a red light to me that says, 'Hey, man, I need to get myself together,' " said Culpepper, who cites a change in eating habits -- something he'd gotten away from when it appeared he wouldn't play in 2008 -- as the biggest reason for his new look. "And then, on top of that, (the weight clause) is a positive thing, and I thought that would help me out in the long run, anyway."

Reuniting with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, whose offense he ran with the Minnesota Vikings in his best years from 2002-04, doesn't hurt, either.

"Being with somebody you've been around, and looking at their offense and their schemes, it's kind of like my planets are getting aligned," Culpepper said. "It just makes sense to me. I think we can do some great things. But even though I know him, it's not like I can relax or anything. It's all about me showing -- re-showing -- who I am and what I can do."
Notable
A handful of players were sidelined by minor injuries, including defensive tackle Grady Jackson, guard Stephen Peterman and safety Daniel Bullocks. Safety Gerald Alexander, however, practiced for the first time since suffering a fractured vertebra Oct. 12 at Minnesota.

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810

He's still on the team

Monday, April 20, 2009
Notebook
Mini-camp exposes big holes on defense
John Niyo / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- As the Lions wrapped up a three-day mini-camp Sunday, it was perhaps easier to see what's missing than just what Jim Schwartz has with his new team.

Players worked out without pads in all four practice sessions, and on offense there were few surprises, though the new-and-improved Daunte Culpepper was arguably the camp's biggest revelation. On defense, there's better depth in the secondary -- even a few interceptions in practice Sunday -- but much work to be done up front and a glaring hole at middle linebacker.
"We're going to need a big thumper," Schwartz admitted Sunday after practice. "I mean, a strong thumper in the middle for base defense. I don't want to put height and weights (on it) but a big, strong, physical player that can play between the tackles, that can take on offensive guards."

Schwartz wouldn't say that player had to emerge from this week's NFL draft. But with Aaron Curry still a candidate for the No. 1 overall pick -- at least publicly, with his agents in town Saturday -- and a player such as Rey Maualuga of Southern California possibly available at No. 20 in the first round, that almost goes without saying.

"There's still time," he said. "There are still a lot of other opportunities. There's the draft, there's waivers, there's trades, there's guys that are still (possibilities)."

This weekend, there were only fill-in options in newly acquired Cody Spencer and former Michigan Wolverine Chris Graham. Ideally, Schwartz would like to find an every-down player to fill that void.

"In a perfect world, but like I said: We've dealt with a lot of those situations before (at Tennessee)," Schwartz said.

"I think No. 1 on his job description has got to be (as a) heavy-handed, inside run defender that can take on guards, that can fill fullbacks (and) that can bring that kind of run-stopping attitude to the defense."

Extra points

Schwartz lets his assistant coaches do most of the yelling, and a few are happy to oblige. But if he's a bit hoarse today, it's because of all the pre-snap penalties in the three-day camp.

"To me, the best situation for a head coach is if we can get through a practice without hearing the head coach," he said.

... In addition to a handful of regulars sitting out the mini-camp with minor injuries, others finished the weekend on the sideline, including receivers Bryant Johnson (dislocated finger) and John Standeford (ankle), guard Damion Cook (leg) and safety Stuart Schweigert (calf).

... Asked again about the Lions' plans with the No. 1 overall pick, Schwartz laughed, "We're still exploring all options."

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810

There's big holes everywhere!

Like Swiss Cheese!

New Helmet


New Jersey

Monday, April 20, 2009
Lions' new logo has fangs, flowing mane
John Niyo / The Detroit News

Madison Heights-- It's evolutionary, not revolutionary. And one thing is clear with the Lions' new look: It's a uniform change -- literally.

From the fashion statement on the front of the jersey to the end-zone decoration at Ford Field to the font on the team's stationery, the Lions are projecting a simpler, more streamlined brand. The colors won't change -- it's still Honolulu blue and silver -- and only time will tell if the team's football fortunes will, but even owner William Clay Ford Sr. agreed last fall it was time to freshen-up the Lions' appearance.

Gone is the circus-lettering and the cluttered jersey striping, replaced by a new custom script and a more refined piping. And yes, most notably, gone is the inanimate "Bubbles," traded in after 50 years for a livelier "Leaping Lion" logo, complete with fangs and a flowing mane, just as advertised -- accidentally -- on that toy truck a month ago.

Fans gathered at the Dunham's Sports store in Madison Heights on Monday for the official announcement, with team president Tom Lewand explaining the reasons behind one of his pet projects that began last fall.

"It's not just about a transformed lion," Lewand said after the new logo was unveiled Monday. "This is about transforming our brand."

The new merchandise is available at all Dunham's locations. It'll also be available Saturday at Ford Field, when the Lions' host their annual NFL draft party from 3-8 p.m. (Admission is free, and no tickets are required.)

There will be changes to the game-day atmosphere at Ford Field as well, though you can forget about cheerleaders for next season. There are no plans currently to change that tradition, Lewand said.

What was wrong with the old logo

catbox_9 wrote:

What was wrong with the old logo

It was bad luck?

Thursday, April 23, 2009
NFL draft, Round 1: Saturday, 4-10 p.m. TV: ESPN, NFL Network
Lions denying Stafford deal as draft looms
John Niyo / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- The Lions were busy denying reports Wednesday of an imminent deal with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford as the No. 1 overall pick in this weekend's NFL draft.

But there's no denying this: If, or when, the contract gets done -- the Lions ratcheted up the negotiations Wednesday with Stafford's agent, Tom Condon -- it'll cost them a great deal.

That's why the team continued contract talks with other top candidates, specifically Aaron Curry. The Wake Forest linebacker said Tuesday he'd gladly accept a deal similar to the one Jake Long signed with Miami as last year's top pick. And Curry could be the Lions' fallback plan -- he's the highest-rated player on many teams' draft boards -- as they insist on getting a deal done before the draft.

But a league source said late Wednesday that Stafford was confident the two sides were closing in on an agreement. And there's no question he's the Lions' first choice.

Word on the street echoes that, 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan said.

Mark Sanchez, the draft's other top quarterback prospect and Stafford's friend, said Wednesday, "I think they're really in love with him," referring to the Lions' interest, adding, "I think Stafford has locked that one down."

For the right price, perhaps. But multiple league sources this week were predicting a deal for Stafford at No. 1 could be worth as much as $38 million-$40 million in guaranteed money. If true, that'll continue the trend of escalating rookie salaries at the top of the draft that has teams like the Lions cursing their own misfortune.

"I think the system is broken," Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said Tuesday. "The way it's set up, the idea, I believe, was to have teams who hadn't been as successful have an opportunity to get better by picking first.

"Now, if you miss at that pick, or you miss early, which we have, it really sets you back even more so it's even harder to get out of that cycle. But I think that hopefully that will get resolved sometime in the near future."

That won't happen until 2011, though, when the league and the NFL Players Association lock horns and try to hammer out a new collective-bargaining agreement. The owners opted out of the final year of the current CBA, which adds another wrinkle -- the NFL will enter an "uncapped year" without a salary cap in 2010 -- to this year's negotiations with high-profile agents.

Last year, Condon got a six-year deal for Matt Ryan -- the top quarterback in the draft at No. 3 overall -- worth as much as $34.75 million in guaranteed money. Long landed a five-year, $57.5 million deal with $30 million guaranteed from the Dolphins last year. The No. 1 pick in 2007 was quarterback JaMarcus Russell, whose deal with Oakland was worth $32 million guaranteed.

Asked recently if that set the benchmark for the Lions' top pick, team president Tom Lewand said, "Those provide some guidance, but the rules change significantly with the last capped year and that has a significant impact on our discussions."

What won't change is the stance of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who hopes the clout of veteran players in the NFLPA will help usher in a new rookie salary structure in the next CBA.

"I feel stronger about it than I did a year ago," Goodell told Sirius NFL Radio after the owners' meetings last month. "I just think it is the right thing for our players. It's the right thing in any industry. The money should go to the people that have produced on the NFL level or on the professional level."

In the meantime, it's up to the teams to figure out how to balance both their books and the risk-reward options at the top of the draft. McCloughan said seven of the nine teams ahead of the 49ers called him looking to trade down in a draft that's lacking in premium talent at the very top.

Punting isn't necessarily the best option, though.

"Certainly there are financial parameters, but if you hit on a great one, everybody is pretty happy that they are there," Browns GM George Kokinis said. "You look at it, you analyze it, you assess the value, and if there is a great player there that you think can take this franchise to another level, then you might just have to stay there and pick it."

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810

Saturday, April 25, 2009
Welcome Matt: Lions, Stafford agree to terms
John Niyo / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- The Lions still were on the clock Friday night. But you can end the suspense: Former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford will be the No. 1 overall pick in today's NFL draft.

Stafford's agent, Tom Condon, and Lions officials agreed to terms on a six-year contract Friday that includes $41.7 million in guaranteed money, the richest rookie contract in NFL history, two league sources said.

The maximum value of the deal with incentives is $78 million, which tops the six-year, $72 million deal -- with $34.75 million guaranteed -- that Matt Ryan, another Condon client, received last year as the No. 3 overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons.

Lions officials wouldn't confirm the deal Friday night. But team president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew had insisted for several weeks they have their No. 1 pick signed to a contract before drafting him. It wasn't clear late Friday night when Stafford would sign his deal.

But this marriage was weeks in the making, and the two sides spent this week haggling over the numbers.

Three months ago, even before he'd accepted the job as the team's new head coach, Jim Schwartz joked, "It's probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne."

Only time will tell if Stafford's the right man for that job, snapping a string of disappointments in a decades-long search for a franchise quarterback in Detroit. The last Lions quarterback to make a Pro Bowl was Greg Landry in 1971, and the team has gone bust with three first-round quarterback selections since: Chuck Long, Andre Ware and Joey Harrington.

But Stafford certainly has the pedigree. He was a high school star at Highland Park High in Dallas, the alma mater of Bobby Layne and Doak Walker, Hall of Famers from the Lions' championship era of the 1950s. Before he'd taken a snap in college, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. predicted he'd be a No. 1 overall pick someday.

And Friday in New York, the Lions' other finalist to be the No. 1 pick, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, reiterated his belief that Stafford's name would be called first by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell today.

"It's a no-brainer," Curry said.

Stafford is aware he's not the first choice for a lot of Lions fans. There were chants of "We want Curry!" and "Don't draft Stafford!" at the team's new uniform unveiling Monday in Madison Heights.

"Obviously, you want the fans to be on your side," Stafford told Yahoo! Sports. "I think you have to be yourself and play and get them on your side. ... I'm one of those guys that just wants to win, I don't care how. It doesn't have to be pretty."

Pretty soon, he'll get his shot.

john.niyo@detnews.com (313) 982-3810